Need help selecting water softener

Hello,
I could really use some help selecting a water softener system. I've read quite a few posts by Aliceinwonderland and others and I appreciate the time they take to answer questions.

So alice, I hope you can offer your expertise. I'm very much a novice at this but figure this is the best time to do this as we are in the middle of a bathroom/kitchen renovation and are just starting to have our entire 30 year old house repiped due to a recently discovered under slab leak.
I'm proposing to our plumber that we want a line off the main that supplies unsoftened cold water to our kitchen sink, fridge/icemaker and outdoor faucets. We will put in an undercounter system to filter the tap water for drinking/cooking.
The softened water would then only be used in the water heater, clothes washer, bathrooms and kitchen hot water. I think this is a good compromise and helps us keep down sodium content in drinking and plant water.

Number of people in your home: 2-3 (son is home from college from June-Aug
Any plans to change the number in your home within the next couple of years?: No
Number of bathrooms: 2
Any high-water-use items, such as a multi-head shower or jetted tub?: No
Objectionable odors or color in your water?: None

I've found several online retailers and have priced out a 5600SXT 32,000 with the 18"x33" brine tank. I haven't contacted any vendors yet to see if they offer the specific items that you mention like the 10% cross linked resin, etc.
At this point my priority is to have the plumber do the piping needed for the water softener so we have it ready for when we do buy the system. I'm not sure what to ask him for except to tell him where we'll locate the system in the garage and that we want a bypass valve incase we need to take the softener off-line.

Thank you for your time reading this post and I look forward to your expert advice.

If you are going to filter tap water for drinking and cooking, I suggest running two cold water lines to the kitchen, one softened, one not. The unsoftened water would run only to your filter. Then you branch off from the filter to the drinking water tap and to the icemaker. The softened cold water line runs to the kitchen sink so you won't end up with buildup around your faucet. Just another alternative to what you have planned.

Your planned 1 cubic ft softener will be just right. Whether you go with the 5600sxt or 7000 sxt will depend upon your pipe size. If your plumbing will be 3/4" go with the 5600. Larger piping calls for the 7000. Price difference will likely be $30-$50.

I recommend having your plumber install a three-valve bypass in case you have to remove the softener entirely. I've included a diagram below. The diagram shows gate valves, but I prefer quarter-turn ball valves instead.

Thank you very much for the response. We're planning on following your advice. Do you recommend any on-line retailers? I've read that the Ohio place won't do the gravel in their units so I'm looking for an alternative. I haven't been able to find a vendor in San diego that states they have a system with the Fleck valve.